"Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want."

Tag: clothes

People now buy four times more clothes than they did in the 80’s. To meet these increasing demands fashion brands are cutting corners in regards to worker rights, pay and safety. It also has huge consequences for the environment, on average UK consumers send 30kg of clothing to landfill each year.

Labour Behind the Label are a charity that are dedicated to changing this. Throughout the year I’m doing a couple of challenges to raise money for them and today I held a Swap Shop to encourage the reuse of clothes and raise awareness of the issue.

A Swap Shop is simple, people bring any unwanted clothes, jewellery, books, toiletries etc. to swap. Anything that takes your fancy you can take and any left over bits will be donated to charity. One man/woman’s trash is another man/woman’s treasure.

With support from my amazing friends and family on the day we managed to raise a whopping £123!!!! It was great fun and we took away some cool pieces. My personal favourite is a demin jacket my mate Niamh brought. She had bought it from Dawn O’Porter who sold it on instagram for charity. And now it has been swapped, again for charity! A jacket that just keeps on giving.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this so far. You’re all absolute legends. Especially my Mam, Alison, who today was a superstar! If you would like to donate click here. Also, keep your ears to the ground as I’ll be hosting another Swap Shop soon!

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend, I know I certainly have. Good night x

As it is day 3 of Fashion Revolution Week I want to talk about my “love story” with the outfit I wore to a wedding in Shrewsbury on Friday.

The dress

I was determined not to buy anything new. I had a handful of dresses and jumpsuits that I’d only ever worn once or twice to a special occasion and so decided I would wear one of those. That was until I visited my friend Antoinette down in London. She was having a clear out and wondered if I fancied taking off her hands a vintage dress that she didn’t need any more.

I’d admired the dress from afar, she had worn it to her graduation. It was beautiful. So I tried on the dress, it fit like a glove, and I decided this was what I was to wear to the wedding.

£0 spent. 0 waste to landfill. 0 resources used on a new item.

The bag

Matt & Nat is a vegan brand (not using leather or any other animal-based materials), all their bag linings are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and they are committed to ensuring the workers making their bags are treated properly.

At Matt & Nat, they live by a simple motto, “Live beautifully”.

I purchased a bag from them, and it certainly was beautiful. So beautiful in fact I had my nails done in the same colour.

Sharing, swapping, donating, buying second hand or vintage clothes is a great way to save money and the planet.

Consciously buying from brands like Matt & Nat, who are happy to tell you #whomademyclothes encourages transparency which will force other brands to improve the working conditions and rights of their employees.

For more information on how you can help to make a change in the industry check out Fashion Revolution’s page.

Most of us love clothes. I know I do. They give us an identity. They make us feel good about ourselves. But the people who make our clothes are hidden. And if we don’t know know who makes our clothes, we can’t be sure that they were made in a fair, clean and safe way. Is an item of clothing really worth the cost of people and our planet?

Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for a fairer, safer, cleaner, more transparent fashion industry. They encourage people to ask brands #whomademyclothes during Fashion Revolution Week 24-30th April.

How I took/you can take part…

#whomademyclothes – Fred Perry has been a favourite of mine for many many years. The classic, British, clean cut look. Abit Mod, abit Punk, abit Chav. But their website shows nothing of where their items are made, how they ensure their garment workers are fairly treated or how they manage the resources used in production. So for Fashion Revolution Week I have asked them to shed some light.

I posted photos to instagram and twitter tagging @fredperry and #whomademyclothes

I also went old school and sent a letter. To which in reply I received their Modern Slavery Statement. As someone who has written a modern slavery statement this response is not sufficient. It is a one pager that does not give any insight into the transparency of their garments. Fred Perry, I will keep investigating!

In a hope to get the government on our side I sent a postcard to my local MP Andrew Bridgen.

Love story – Rather than always buying from new, clothes should be reworn and taken good care of to take a stand against fast fashion that ends up in landfill. See my post 30 wears on how I do this.

Try a #haulternative, a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes. You could upcycle, swap with friends or buy in charity shops.

Fashion Revolution events are taking place across the world. I’m off to Berlin this weekend and will be popping in on their Re:fash:festival.

Alongside Fashion Revolution Week I am raising money for Labour Behind the Label by doing a 10k run, hosting a swap shop and trekking Hadrian’s Wall. Labour Behind the Label campaign worldwide for garment worker’s rights, supporting workers in their struggle to live in dignity and work in safety. They focus on relief of poverty, promotion of human rights and compliance with the law and ethical standards… not an easy task! They are only a small charity, with a very big job at hand, so every £ raised really does help. Click here to donate.

“Take two very simple actions that we perform every single day: getting dressed and eating. Now start a journey backwards – to where your food and your clothes come from. At the other end, you will rarely find happy people, treated with dignity and respect.” – Livia Firth

In this post I’m focusing on the first action, getting dressed. Fast fashion is forcing people to buy more and waste more. The high demand of ‘needing’ the latest trends has forced retailers to use unethical ways to produce their clothes.

One way to contribute in making a positive change against this is by asking yourself when buying new clothes, “Can I wear this a minimum of 30 times?” If the answer is no… then don’t buy it. By using this rule not only are you helping the fast fashion crisis, but you are ensuring that the clothes you do buy are clothes you truly love.

Here I am sharing with you some of my favourite clothes that I’ve had for many years and have experienced many things. * I apologise that most pictures contain booze and for some of the hair cuts and pouts…

This item I bought in Oxfam Leeds for £4 in 2010 on a whim when visiting my sister at Uni for a night out. Since then it has seen many a bottle of beer and dance floor. 30 wears (✓).

This item is a Topshop coat I got as a birthday present from my parents in 2012. It now has holes in the armpit lining, but from the outside looks fine. 30 wears (✓).

This Fred P item I found in a vintage shop in 2011. It’s since been worn with scarves, shirts, dresses, skirts. 30 wears (✓).

This dress I nicked from my sister in 2014, I believe she wore it at least 30 times before I stole it. It’s been on loads of nights out and now I use it as a work dress. 30 wears (✓).

This item is a pair of dungarees I managed to get for £10 in a Zara sale in 2014. Whenever I feel stuck on what to wear, this is my go-to as it goes well with all sorts. 30 wears (✓).

If you have any fave clothes that you have worn a minimum of 30 times let me know or use the #30wears to create awareness.

Enjoy your clothes xxx

p.s I am raising money for Labour Behind the Label who work to fight fast fashion. If you can, donate here.